Internal-combustion engine



April E@ 1929. L. B Lus 1,709,312

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE:-

Filed Aug. 6, 1924 fao . 35 panyingdrawings, in which:

Patented Apr. 16, 1929.l

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T 'GENERAL f 'v l 1,709,312

TENT l carica.

'xoTons con;

mTanNAnconnUsTroN. ENGINE.

Application` ineav august e This invention relates to engines, and is illustrated as embodied in the -type eight cylinder engineof a Cadillac automobile. Among the objects of the yinvention are the 5 efficient lubrication of lthepvalve mechanism,

and the elimination from the oil water escaping past the.pistons.

Having these objects in view, the oiland fueland water-are collected, er some pressure, in spaces o the pistons, and are discharged through openlngsin the cylinder walls. `In considering the lubrication of the valve ta pets orother mechanism,I consider it highl sirable thatthese openings have fittings .formed to discharge the oil as a spray or mistinto van inclosure or chamber for the tappets., Regarding the invention vas directed to vfreeing the yoily of fuel yand water, the

mixture -of iluids-is collected in a pocket which is subject to the heat of the cyllnders,

f'- the.l mixture also referably being agitated 1' byarranging the fittings to discharge under the surface of the fluids in the pocket.

Thus the fuel and water are in effect distilledolf and escape as vapors into the atmosphere, for example through the breather Y tube. e oil is returned to the crankcase for further use. y he above and other objects of the invention,'together with various novel and desirable particularconstructions, will be apparent from -the following descriptlon of illustrative embodiments shown in the accom- Figure 1 is a view, partly in end elevation and partly in verticalsection through one of the cylinders, of the engine;

Figure 2 is a view, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing in side elevation part oi the bottom section of the cylinder block;

Figure .3 isa section on. the line 3a?) of Fi yure 1, through the cylinder block at rig t angles tofthe axes of the cylinders,

but with. the valves and their casing removed; y y,

Figure 4 is a verticalfsection, on the line 4 4 of Figure 2, through the bottom section of the cylinder block,'onon`e side only;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5,5 of Figure 3, through the lower part a continuation or part of a passave forming ofthe breather tube;

Figure 6 is a view corresponding part of fuel and th referably un-vl `novel form in deth 1924. serial nafvaosss.

of Figure 1,.V but showing a modified arrangement and igure7 yis a section through one of the above-described fittings.

igures' 3, and' 7 are on a larger scale an the'other figures. t

he invention is shown as embodied in an engine blocks 12 of' four cylinders 14 each, arranged in lV relation on block 12, the cylinders 14 are in two pairs, with'a passage 16 between the vpairs, a breather tube 18 forming a continuation of e passefge 16 as is usual 'in' the Cadillac engine. The breather'tube is held in the usualmanner, by a bolt or bolts 20, clam ed A against the side of the passage 16.V Va ves 22 have tappets 24, or equivalent o erating mechanism, on the inside of the and a piston 26 with its c onnectin rod 28 is arranged in each cylinder. d'acent pairs of cylinders 14 are connected y Vwebs 30, and the wall of passage 16 is connected to the two middle cylinders 14 by webs 32. The abovefdescribed partsmayjbe of any desired construction. V I

In the'arrangement shownin Figures `1-5, each piston 26,y which has the usual grooves for iston rin 34, has a pair of Vside grooves 36 eading romy the lowest piston ring groove, and communicatin witha hollow piston in 38 connecting t e piston to its connecting rod28. These grooves intersect a circumferential groove 40 which leads to a dischargevgroove 42 parallel to and between the grooves 36.

Each time they iston approaches its lowermost position, ischarge groove 42 registers wit an opening in the cylinder wall, in which is threaded a fitting 44. `Each fitting has a central passage 46` leading from its cylinder, and an intersecting crossv passage 48 dischargin into an inclosure formed by the c linder lock anda cover' plate 50, and in which are 'arranged the tappet'rods Fuel and watereiter condensed 0r as vapors, escaping pastl t e iston rin 34 to 'ther' with loilfrom thepcylinder alls; 'co lectin the hollow. piston pin 38 vand the various described grooves in the piston skirt, under more kor'less pressure from the com'- pression or explosion stroke, and when groove42 registers with fitting 44 they are sprayed into the valve tappet inclosure, thus having 'a crankcase 10 with twov the crankcase. In each producing therein a slowly-settling mist or vapor of oil which eliiciently lubricates the tappets.

Fittings 44 for each pair of cylinders discharge into a pocket formed by a ledge 52 on the cylinder casting, at such a height that the mixture of iuids is subject to the heat of the cylinder walls, which in effect distills off the water and fuel as vapors, leaving the oil to overiow into a lower pocket formed by a flange or ledge 54 on the bottom of the casting, and which is common to all four of the cylinders and to the passage 16. As shown in Figure 5, surplus oil drains back into the crankcase through an opening 56 in the wall of passage 16, which opening may also serve for the escape of water and f In this modification,

fuel vapors into the atmosphere through the breather tube 18. In order to facilitate the above-described action, fittings 44 discharge into the pocket formed by ledge 52 below the level of the fluids collected therein, to agitate ythem by spraying the incoming fluids through them (see Figure 4).

If desired, louvered openings 60 may be formed in plate 50, to permit the water and fuel vapors to discharge directly into .the atmosphere. When openings 60 are provided there is more or less communication o vapors from the crankcase through the pas-` sage 56 into the tappet enclosure, and from the latter said vapors may escape through said openings.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, there is no ledge 52, the mixed oil and fuel and1 Water collecting directly oniange 54.

also, the circumferential groove 240 in piston 26 is directly below the grooves for the piston rings, and communicates with -a roove 242, which registers once each 'stroke with fitting 44.

i densed fuel and While'particular embodiments of the invention have not my intention to limit its scope to those embodiments, or otherwise than by the terms p of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. An internal combustion en ine comrising a cylinder, a valve there or, a tappet for said valve, an enclosure for said tappet, means for admitting lubricating oil to said-enclosure, and means for retaining sai oil within said enclosure while subjecting it to heat suliicient for distilling vapors of contaminating liquid therefrom.

2. An internal 'combustion engine comprising, in combination, a cylinder having an opening in its side, a piston having a groove communicating periodically with the.

opening and a 'space comunicating with the groove and adapted toreceive oil and conwater, valves having tapi for the tappets in'commupets, an inclosure the side of the nieation with the opening in f registers periodically with the downwardly-extending been described in detail, it is riodically with the opening to discharge the oil and fuel and water into the pocket, and means to discharge into the atmos here the fuel and water vapors and to return to the crankcase-the liquid oil.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a crankcase, a cylinder having an opening in its side and a ledge forming a pocket below the opening, the pocket being subject to the heat of the cylinder when the engine is running, a fitting in the openingv discharging below the level of liquid in the pocket to agitato the liquid, a piston in the c linder having a s ace receiving oil and uel and water an which fitting to discharge the oil and fuel and water into the to discharge Ainto the atmosphere the fuel and water distilled off from the oil as vapors and to return to the crankcase the liquid oil.

5.,.An internal combustion engine as defined by claim 3, in combination with-valves having tappets, and an inclosure for the tappets containing said ledge and pocket.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a crankcase, a cylinder having an opening in its side and a ledge forming a pocket 'below the pocket bein subject to the heat of the cylinder when t e engine is running, a pist0n in the cylinder having a s ace receiving oil and fuel and water and w ich registers periodically with the opening to discharge the oil andy fuel and water into the pocket, an inclosure for said pocket, and a breather tube opening from the crankcase into the atmosphere and communicating with the inclosure to receive liquid oil therefrom andto d rreturn it to the crankcase, and to receive fuel and water as vapors and discharge them into the atmosphere..

7. vA'piston having a hollow piston pin, piston ring grooves, side grooves from the piston ring grooves communicating hollow piston pin, a circumferential groove communicating wi h the side grooves, and a discharge groove leading from the circumferential groove along the side of the piston, between and parallel to 8. An engine comprising, in combination, a plurality of cylinders arranged in two distilled off from t e oil as the side grooves.,

andmeans in the inclosure to hold the opening, f

with the I groups, a crankcase for the cylinders, a Ilireather tube between the groups of cylinders and Which communicates at its lower end with the crankcase -andy at its upper end with the atmosphere, valves having tappetsA along the sides of the cylinders, a plate forming with the cylinders an inclosure for the tappcts, a fitting in the Wall of each cylinder opening into the inclosure, a disciarge opening from the inclosure to the breather tube, and pistons in the cylinders constructed and arranged .to collect oil and fuel and Water and discharge them into the enclosure through said ttings.

9. An engine comprising, in combustion, a cylinder having an opening in its side, a piston havinga fluid-collecting space registering periodically with the opening,a fitn ting in the opening having a central passage Acommunicating with the inside of the cylinder andhaving an intersecting cross passage discharging at opposite sides of the itting, and valve mechanism arranged to be lubricated by oil sprayed from said space through the fitting.

l0. An engine comprising, in combination, a block of cylinders, a valve tappet chamber at one side of the block including a cover having louvered openings discharging into cant to said enclosure,

the atmosphere, and means for collecting surplus oil and water and fuel vapors in the cylinders and discharging them into the chamber. Y.

'1-1. An internal combustion engine cornprising a cylinder, a valve therefor', valve operating means, an enclosure for said operating means, means for supplying lubriand means Within said enclosure for retaining said lubricating oil and subjecting it to heat sufficient for distilling vapors of contaminating liquids therefrom.

l2. An internal combustion engine comyprising in combination with the crankcase, 'piston valve,

valve operating mechanism and the enclosure thereof, means forming a passage through which vapors generated by the engine may escape into said enclosure Without passing into said crankcase, and means forming a second opening through which they may escape therefrom.

internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder and piston, said piston being formed to collect lubricating oil under pressure, a valve for said cylinder, valve operating means and an enclosure therefor, said cylinder having an opening through which said collected lubricant is intermit tently discharged into said enclosure, means Within said enclosure for subjecting said lubricating oil to heathsufiicient for distilling vapors ofcontaminating liquids from said oil, and openings from said enclosure through which said vapors and said oil respectively escape.

14. An internal combustion engine comprising a crankcase, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a valve, valve Qperating mechanism and an enclosure therefor, the Wall of said cylinder having an opening arranged to be uncovered during the movement of the piston and leading to said enclosure for permitting vapors from the crankcase to escape into said enclosure for lubricating said valve operating mechanism and valve, there being a small second opening leading from said enclosure to permlt said vapors to escape.

15. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therefor, a valve, a tappet and a tappet enclosure, said piston and cylinder together comprising means for collecting lubricant and vapors and for discharging them into said tappet enclosure, means on the Wall of said cylinder Within said enclosure forming a pocket in which said oil is collected, said pocket being so positioned as to be subjected to a temperature such that vapor is distilled from the oil therein, there being an opening from said enclosure through which said oil is thereafter returned to the crankcase by gravity.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOCKWOOD `B. ELLIS. 

